Les Bowen

STAFF WRITER

Les Bowen has covered the Eagles since 2002. Before that, he covered the Flyers for 13 years. He came to the Daily News from the Charlotte Observer in May 1983, just as the Sixers were winning the NBA championship. He thought, "Gosh, this sort of thing must happen all the time here."

Interesting, albeit puzzling news to those of us who watched Michael Vick run down from behind by defensive linemen on more than one occasion last season. Today at the Eagles' offseason workouts, Vick raced LeSean McCoy in the 40, apparently after repeated challenges from the 24-year-old running back.

Vick, who turns 33 next month, won handily, according to various Twitter accounts of the race, the first provided by safety Colt Anderson. Those accounts were contested by McCoy, who tweeted in response to a Pro Football Talk post on the race, "u serious don't believe it he jumped early...rematch.'

Vick, who looked sculpted last month at minicamp, really seems to be taking to new coach Chip Kelly's emphasis on fitness. If the result was on the level, it might be mildly alarming, though, in that McCoy, who exclaimed excitedly that minicamp practices were "like a freakin' track meet" perhaps is not in as good a shape as his QB.

Vick tweeted: "So today at the field 1 of my teammates called me old and b(e)gged to race me in the 40 yd dash, Anybody want to guess which player?"

Vick's next tweet: "Beat him by a few yards too lol."

Vick seemed to decline McCoy's request for a rematch in a tweet that read: "FYI it won't be any more races at the facility. We're focus(ed) on this upcoming season. We need to get back to playing Eagles Football. DONE."

Vick ran a 4.33 40 in preparation for the 2001 NFL draft. In 2009, McCoy's draft prep included a mildly disappointing 4.5. But McCoy was credited with a 4.25 at the 2004 NIKE State College training camp for high school prospects. Vick also is given credit for 4.25 speed in some internet reports; it isn't clear where and when this clocking supposedly took place.

Of course, McCoy's greatest asset is his shiftiness, darting and cutting back, not straight-line speed. And Vick presumably won't be running 40 yards at a clip much this seaosn, unless Kelly is really a magician as a strategist. Vick's longest run from scrimmage of 2012 was 20 yards.

Teammates certainly had a little fun with the result; it didn't seem anybody minded seeing the oldest Eagle dust an upstart.

On Twitter, safety David Sims was asked if the race was filmed.

"Nope but the rematch will be for sure," Sims replied.

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Also, the Eagles announced that single-game and standing-room tickets go on sale May 9 at 10 a.m.